Question
How can my partner test HIV positive and I test HIV negative?
16 January 2018. Related: All topics, HIV testing, HIV transmission, Newly diagnosed, Sero different couples.
I went to test HIV with my partner.
I found out that she is positive and I was negative. After six months i went back I tested negative.
Please help as I don’t understand.
Answer
Thanks for your question as your situation is very common.
Has your partner’s positive HIV test been checked by a second test in a lab. All rapid tests, need a positive result to be confirmed. This is because of the small chance of a false-positive result.
If the second test (called “western blot”) is positive then your partner is definitely positive. In this case, how is your partner doing and does she have support?
Even if your partner is HIV positive, it is common for one person in a couple to test positive and the other negative. This can happen even if they have bot been using condoms. This is mostly just luck. Over time, most people will catch HIV if they continue to have sex without a condom.
Even though you have not caught HIV so far, you can still catch HIV in the future. Genetics may explain some cases of protection, but most are just down to luck and chance.
Now you know your partners HIV status, you can still stay together and have sex safely. Condoms or PrEP are both really effective at stopping HIV and not sharing needles.
Also, after your partner gets an undetectable viral load on treatment, the risk drops to zero – even without condoms. The PARTNER study reported no transmission with an undetectable viral load. this was after about 900 couple had sex 58,000 without condoms (over several years).
Note: This answer was updated in January 2018 and October 2014 from a question from June 2011. i-Base no longer answers individual questions about HIV transmission and risk. (See: Question 1, 5, 6 and 9 at this link).
Hi Carley,
You can’t contract HIV if you use a condom correctly. Also, you have tested negative. Therefore, your illness is not HIV related.
I had sex with a lady though with condom. Since then I have been sick. After 3 months I went for a test which came back negative. Am I OK?
Hi Sheeprs,
This questions has been explained above.
How someone be HIV positive and there partner negative when they’ve been having sex without a condom and they aren’t on treatment?
Hi Happy.
HIV is actually quit hard to transmit. It really is a case of being unlucky.
If your husband is on medication, then this may be why you haven’t contracted HIV. If a persons is in meds and is undetectable then the risks of transmission are close to zero. Please see the PARTNER study for more info:
https://i-base.info/qa-on-the-partner-study/
Good day
i just found out that my husband is HIV positive and he knew from 2003. I have a kids with him. My results are negative. Am I still at a risk?
Thank you
Hi April,
If the man isn’t on treatment then the risk of transmission are higher then if he were on treatment. And yes, even if you only have sex the once, you can contract HIV.
Hi. I will just ask.. is it possible to get transmitted to a men that is possitive from hiv even if you only do sex for the first time or 1 time only.
Hi Lereko,
When was the last time that you tested for HIV?
If you were having sex without a condom before your boyfriend started meds, there will have been some risk. If you only started having sex without a condom since he’s been on meds, if his viral load is undetectable, then the risks are close to zero. Please see the PARTNER study:
https://i-base.info/qa-on-the-partner-study/
Because you now know that your boyfriend is taking meds, maybe you should talk to him. Talk to him about his status and see if he needs any support.
I just found out that my boyfriend is positive. At first I didn’t believe him. They said he must wait until he can start taking medicine that was July. But, now I found pills he been hiding them because I didn’t believe him and we’ve been having sex without a condom. But then I’m negative am I at risk?